Enclosed circuit interrupter



J ly 21, 1942- H. H. WILLMANN I 2,290,5 16

ENCLOSED CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER- Q I Filed-May l, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet2 g Fig. 2'.

mWITNESSES: INVENTOR- Hans H. W/'//ma/7 Patented July 21, 1942 NCLOSED CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Hans H. Willmann, Bcrlin-Charlottenburg, Germany, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 1, 1941, Serial No. 391,249 In Germany March 6, 1940 15 Claims. (01. 200-153) The invention relates to circuit breakers or switches of the enclosed type wherein the circuit breaker or switch unit is operable from outside the enclosing housing by an operating handle on the epenable cover of the enclosing housing.

An object of the invention is the provision of 'an enclosed circuit interrupter of th class described having an improved operating drive wherebythe interrupter is operated by the handle on the openable cover of the enclosing housing.

Another object of the invention is the provision an enclosed circuit interrupter operated by an operating handle on the openable cover of the enclosing housing, wherein correct operative conhection between the operating handle and the circuit interrupter mechanism is automatically established when the cover is closed even though the circuit interrupter and the operating handle are not in corresponding operating positions at the time the cover is being closed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an enclosed circuit interrupter operated by an exterior operating handle on the openable cover of the enclosing housing which becomes automatically connected to the interrupter mechanism in correct relation thereto when the cover is closed regardless of the previous position of thehandle, and without changing the position of the operating lever of the circuit interrupter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an enclosed circuit interrupter embodying an improved separable coupling means between the circuit interrupter mechanism and the operating handle on the openable cover of the enclosure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a circuit interrupter unit mounted in an enclosing housing having an openable cover and embodying an improved operating means for operating the interrupter by a handle on the cover, said operating means being very simple, compact, and inexpensive to manufacture. I

In accordance with the invention, an'operating handle is mounted on the openable cover of the enclosing housing, and this handle has a shaft rotatably mounted on thecover with its axis perpendicular to the plane of movement of the interrupter operating lever. The shaft extends inside the cover and has a coupling member secured thereto which is provided with a slot radial to the axis of the shaft for engaging a cross rod on the interrupter operating lever when the cover is closed. The coupling member also has guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot leading to F the slot to guide the slot into engagement with the cross rod when the cover is closed.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to construction and operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompany-' ing drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section, of an enclosed circuit interrupter constructed in ac-' cordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the enclosed circuit interrupter.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 5 generally designates an enclosing housing for protecting a circuit interrupter unit I which is mounted therein. The housing comprises a box-shaped metal casing 9 and a cooperating metal cover H which is hingedly mounted (Fig. 2) on one of the side walls of the casing 9 by a pair of hinges [3 (only one being shown) to permit the cover to be swung to open and to closed position.

The cover II is provided with a rim l5 which seats against the edges of the side and end walls of the casing 9, and also has an inwardly extending marginal flange I! which overlaps the edges of the casing 9. A gasket I 9 of resilient or elastic material is secured to the edge of the casing to seal the joint between the casing and cover. The housing serves to protect the circuit interrupter and any other electrical devices which may be mounted in the housing from dust, moisture, water and other deleterious materials which may be encountered in the usual applications of such apparatus. The cover H can be swung open to permit access to be had to the electrical devices within the housing, and may be locked closed by any suitable latching or locking device.

The circuit interrupter 1 may be a circuit breaker, switch, or manual motor starter of any known construction having an actuating handle or lever. The circuit interrupter illustrated is contained within its own casing and is provided with an oscillatable actuating lever 2| that is movable about a pivot 23 to opposite off and on positions to open and to close the contacts of the interrupter. The actuating mechanism of the circuit interrupter is preferably, but not necessarily, of the type which is automatically operable upon overloads to effect opening of the contacts, and the mechanism is resettable after such automatic opening operation. There are a number of known circuit breakers of this general type, one, for example, being fully disclosed in Patent No. 2,048,114 to H. S. Gano et al., issued July 21, 1936.

An operating handle lever 25 is rotatably mounted on a hood-shaped portion 21 of the cover for operating the circuit interrupter from outside of the housing 5 when the cover is closed. The operating handle lever 25 is rotatable to off and to on positions corresponding to the off and on positions of the circuit interrupter lever 2| and is adapted to move the interrupter lever to its various operating positions through a separable automatic coupling means which will be hereinafter described. The cover II is provided with suitable indicia 28, such as on and off, which cooperate with an index mark 29 on the operating handle to indicate the operating positions of the handle. The hood-shaped portion 21 is disposed over an opening 3| in the cover and is fastened to the cover by a pair .of screws 33. An elastic packing 315 is disposed between the hood-shaped part 2'! and the cover II to seal the joint therebetween.

The operating handle lever 25 is located on one side of the hood-shaped part 21 and has a shaft 31 secured at one end thereto which extends through bearing openings in the sides of the hood-shaped part 21 and is rotatable therein about an axis parallel to the pivot axis 23 of the interrupter actuating lever 2|. The shaft 3'! is preferably secured to the hub of the operating handle lever 25 by being die-cast therein so as to avoid any additionalconnection between these elements. The opposite end ,of the shaft 31 has an annular disk'39 mounted thereon, and the end of the shaft is spun over against this disk to retain the handle assembly in mounted position. 'To obtain a satisfactory water-tight and dust-tight joint at the bearing openings of the shaft, the side walls of the'hood-shaped part 21 are provided with circular recesses 4| (Fig. 2) concentric with the shaft. A cylindrical neck 43 on the hub of the operating handle 25 fits in one of the recesses 4|, and the disk 39 fits in the circular recess on the other side wall of the hoodshaped part 21. Preferably the recesses 4| are provided with circular slots '45 which are adapted to receive a lubricant to assist in sealing the bearing openings. The lubrication slots are sealed against the outside by the cylindrical neck 43 and the disk 39.

A coupling means is provided for automatically connecting the operating handle in corrective .operative relation with the interrupter operating lever upon closing of the cover regardless of the previous relative positions of the handle and interrupter lever, that is, even though the handle may be in the extremely opposite operating position from the interrupter lever 2| before or during closing of the cover. This coupling means comprises a coupling member 41 connected with the shaft 3? inside of the cover for operatively engaging the interrupter lever 21 when the cover is closed. The coupling member 41 is preferably a double or U-shaped metal element, the legs of which are secured to the shaft 31 by square openings in the legs which engage a square portion of the shaft 37, as illustrated in the drawings. In accordance with the invention, each of the legs of the U-shaped coupling member 47 is provided with a slot 49 at the end thereof for en.- gaging a cross rod 5| secured to the outer cnd of the interrupter lever 2|. The slots 49 are dis:

posed radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft 31; and the cross rod 5| on the interrupter actuating lever is disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft 31. Each of the legs of the U-shaped coupling member 37 is formed to provide sloping guide surfaces 53 leading to the radial slots 49. The guide surfaces 53 are so arranged that during closing of the cover H the cross bar 5| will engage one or the other of the guide surfaces 53 and automatically cause movement of the operating handle 25 to a position corresponding to that of the interrupter lever 2|, and thus automatically cause the slots 49 to engage the cross rod 5| to effect correct operative connection of the handle 25 with the interrupter lever 2|. The operative connection takes place automatically regardless of the previous relative positions of the operating handle and the interrupter lever, that is, even though the operating handle may be in 2. directly opposite operating position from that of the interrupter lever at the time the cover is being closed. Preferably, the weights of the coupling member 41 and the operating handle lever 25 are made so that they balance each other, thus improving the operation of the coupling means. There is no spring between the coupling member 4'! and the cover II. It will be noted that with the construction of the present invention, the angle of inclination of the guide surfaces 53 with respect to the cross rod 5| is greatest when the handle is in one extreme operating position and the interrupter lever in the opposite extreme operating position, so that only relatively short guide sur faces are required to eifect the automatic operative connection, even though the handle and interrupter lever are in directly opposite operating positions. Another advantage of the construction of the present invention is that it is possible to close the'cover or to open it without changing the switching position of the interrupter actuating lever 2|.

The cross rod 5| on the interrupter lever 2| preferably comprises a screw bolt 55 (Fig. 2) having a cylindrical head, and a cylindrical nut 51. The screw bolt 55 extends through a hole 59 in the interrupter lever 2|, and the head of the screw bolt and the nut extend into recesses 6| on both sides of the interrupter lever 2|. In this manner the thin connecting region of the bolt between the nut and the head of the screw bolt is maintained very short so that bending of the cross rod is avoided when the coupling member is moved.

While the invention has been disclosed in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that various changes in the structural idetails thereof may be made without departing from some of the essential features of the invention. It is desired, therefore, that the language of the appended claims be given the broadest reasonable interpretation permissible in the light of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. An enclosed circuit interrupter comprising a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a movable actuating member, an operating handle on the cover having a rotatable shaft extending inside the cover, and a coupling member secured to said shaft inside said cover and movable thereby parallel to the plane of movement of the interrupter actuating member, said coupling member having a slot therein radial to the axis of rotation of the shaft for engaging the interrupter actuatingmember to couple the actuating member to the handle for movement thereby when the cover is closed and having guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot leading to the slot.

2. In combination, an enclosing housing have an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit mounted in the housing having a movable actuating member, an operating handle on the cover having a rotatable shaft extending inside the cover for moving the interrupter actuating member to operate the interrupter, a coupling member secured to said shaft inside the cover having a slot disposed radially with respect to the axis of the shaft and having guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot leading to the slot, said interrupter actuating member carrying a cross rod parallel to said shaft which engages in the radial slot when the cover is closed.

3. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit mounted in said housing having a movable actuating member, an operating handle on said cover having a rotatable shaft extending inside said cover, means operable to automatically effect correct operative connection between said handle and said actuating member when the cover is closed irrespective of their previous relative positions before the cover is closed, said means comprising a coupling member secured to said shaft inside the cover having a slot therein radial to the axis of the shaft for engaging the interrupter actuating member and having guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot leading ,to the slot.

4. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a movable actuating member, an operating handle rotatably mounted on the cover for operating the interrupter, and means automatically operable upon closing of the cover to cause the circuit interrupter and the handle to be respectively moved to corresponding positions regardless of their previous relative positions and to connect the handle with the interrupter actuating member, said means comprising a coupling member connected to said handle having a slot therein radial to the axis of rotation of the handle for engaging the interrupter actuating member and having guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot leading to the slot.

5. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a movable actuating member, an operating handle rotatably mounted on the cover for operating the interrupter, and means automatically operable by the movement of the cover to closed position to cause movement of the handle to an operating position corresponding to that of the interrupter and to connect the handle with the interrupter actuating member, said means comprising a coupling member connected to the handle having a slot therein radial to the axis of rotation of the handle for engaging the interrupter actuating member and having guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot leading to the slot.

6. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a pivoted actuating lever, an operating handle rotatably mounted on the cover about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the actuating lever, means automatically operable upon closing of the cover to effect correct operative connection of the handle with the actuating lever regardless of their previous relative positions.

7. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter in said housing having a movable actuating member, an operating handle rotatably mounted in bearing means on the cover for operating the interrupter, a cross rod on said interrupter actuating member parallel to the axis of rotation of the operating handle, and a coupling member connected to said handle having a slot therein radial to the axis of rotation of the handle for engaging the cross rod when the cover is closed and having guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot leading to the slot, said guide surfaces being disposed to cause the slot of the coupling member to automatically engage the cross rod when the cover is closed regardless of the previous relative positions of the handle and actuating member.

8. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter in said housing having a pivoted actuating lever, an operating handle rotatably mounted in bearing means on the cover about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the actuating lever for operating the interrupter, a coupling member connected to said handle having a slot therein radial to the axis of rotation of the handle for engaging the actuating lever when the cover is closed and having guide surfaces on both sides of the radial slot for causing the slot to automatically engage the actuating lever upon closing of the cover regardless of the previous relative positions of the handle and actuating lever.

9. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a movable actuating member, a cross rod secured to said actuating member I adjacent the outer end thereof comprising a screw bolt and a cylindrical nut extending out from lateral recesses on opposite sides of the actuating member, an operating handle rotatably mounted in bearings on the cover for operating the interrupter, and a coupling member connected to the handle having a slot therein for engaging the cross red when the cover is closed and having guide surfaces on both sides of the slot to cause said slot to automatically engage the cross rod when the cover is set on the housing.

10. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a movable actuating member, a cross rod secured to said actuating member adjacent the outer end, an operating handle on said cover having a shaft rotatably mounted in bearing means in the cover and extending inside the cover, a U-shaped coupling member the legs of which are secured to the shaft, said coupling member having a slot at the end of each leg radial to the axis of said shaft for engaging said cross bar when the cover is closed and having guide surfaces on both sides of each slot for causing said slots to automatically engage said cross bar upon closing of the cover.

11. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a movable actuating member, said cover having a hood shaped portion, an operating handle on said cover having a shaft die cast therein at one end, said shaft extending through said hood shaped portion and being rotatably mounted in bearings therein, the

end of said shaft opposite the handle being spun over against a washer on the side of said hood shaped portion, and a coupling member secured to the shaft inside the cover having a slot therein radial to the axis of the shaft for engaging the actuating member upon closing of the cover.

12. In combination, an enclosing housing having a dome shaped portion, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing, an operating handle on said housing have a shaft secured at one end to said handle, extending through said dome shaped portion, and being rotatably mounted in bearings therein, the sides of said dome shaped portion through which said shaft extends having circular recesses therein concentric with the shaft openings, an annular slot on the inner surface of each recess for receiving a lubricant, said handle having a cylindrical neck which fits in one of said recesses, an annular disk on the shaft disposed in the other recess, means on the shaft engaging said disk for retaining said handle assembly in mounted position, and means for connecting the interrupter to said shaft for operation thereby.

13. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a pivoted actuating member, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the cover about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the actuating member, said operating lever having a handle portion on the outside of the cover and having a coupling portion inside the cover, means operable upon closing of the cover to automatically efiect correct operative connection between said operating lever and said actuating lever regardless of their previous relative positions, said operating lever being movable freely unbiased by any spring when the cover is open.

14. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a pivoted actuating lever, operating means comprising an operating handle rotatably mounted on the cover about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the actuating lever, and a coupling element inside the cover connected .to the handle for movement therewith and having means engageable with the actuating lever to automatically effect correct operative connection of the handle with the actuating lever upon closing of the cover regardless of their previous relative positions, said handle and coupling element being freely movable and constructed to balance each other.

15. In combination, an enclosing housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit in said housing having a pivoted actuating lever, operating means comprising an operating handle rotatably mounted on the cover about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the actuating lever, and a coupling element inside the cover connected to the handle for movement therewith, said coupling element having an open ended slot radial to the axis of rotation of the element engageable with the ac'tuating lever when the cover is closed and having guide surfaces on both sides of the slot for automatically causing the slot to engage the actuating lever upon closing of the cover regardless of the previous relative positions of the handle and actuating lever, said coupling element and handle being movable freely and constructed to balance each other.

HANS H. WILLMANN. 

